Environmental assessment for more Navy flights gets key go-ahead

A key state agency has signed-off on the Navy’s plan for a 30 percent increase in helicopter activity over Imperial Beach by 2016.

The Coastal Commission gave its approval to the Navy’s draft environmental assessment June 3. The Navy’s review concluded that coastal “public access would not be affected, and that noise effects in public areas from the helicopters are comparable to existing aircraft being replaced.”

Under the proposed changes, annual helicopter flights would increase from 248,726 to 323,344 at the Imperial Beach Naval Outlying Landing Filed, commonly known as Ream Field. Flights at North Island would rise from 61,569 to 80,042 per year.

At a recent council meeting, U.S. Navy Capt. Yancy Lindsey stressed the importance of the increased training.

San Diego Port Commissioner Mike Bixler, who represents Imperial Beach, is among the critics who question the accuracy of the Navy’s findings.

The Imperial Beach City Council, city staff and local residents urged the Coastal Commission to demand a more comprehensive and costlier environmental review — known as an environmental-impact statement — than what the Navy has provided.

“I believe that the Coastal Commission doesn’t want to weigh-in on it, but they have the review responsibility. There is a deficiency in facts to make a fair decision on it,” Councilman Jim King said. “There were substantial public comments on this and it seems they were not given proper consideration.”